Jackal Among Snakes

Chapter 557

“By rights, I should call the guards and have you cast into prison, tortured.” Zen carefully placed a bookmark into his book and set it aside.

“Do it,” Elenore said inside his head.

“I’m not telling him to ‘do it,’” Stain replied to her as he stared steadfastly. When he opened his mouth to respond to Zen, he said instead, “You’d at least like to hear us out, right?”

Zen tapped his book with one finger. “I hear a lot either way.”

Stain’s gut swirled with nervousness, but Elenore said, “You imbecile. I hope your parents are siblings, otherwise there’s no justification for such continual stupidity. Say. Do. It.”

“Do it,” Stain said.

Governor Zen smiled, and stroked his wispy goatee. “You’re loyal enough to them to suffer that?”

“You should look out across the pond. Then, just say that this way is faster for the both of you.”

Stain very nearly said ‘look out across the pond.’ He tied his tongue in time, then looked out into the pond sagely and repeated, “This way’s faster for the both of us.”

“And doesn’t necessarily preclude the other.” Zen stopped tapping the book. “But I can’t be disloyal to the imperial court. You understand, they have ways of… keeping people in line. Sending people like yourself to people. Hounds, to sniff.”

Stain stared in silence, waiting for Elenore’s direction. After a long moment of indecision, she finally commanded, “Take away your blessing in front of him.”

“He’ll know my ability. If he knows, and he’s not with us, the whole imperial court could know. If the imp—”

“It’s a calculated risk,” Elenore interrupted. “And done with the king’s approval. Even if the imperial court learns of you, they can’t truly do anything but be more cautious.”

And what about my safety? Stain stared without saying anything. He stalled for time, asking, “You think I’m a hound?”

“I didn’t say that,” Zen said.

Meanwhile, Stain demanded of Elenore, “He thinks I’m a hound. I deserve a treat. Give me a seat on parliament, and a title.”

“Parliament?” Elenore’s voice was sharp. “You don’t have time to—”

“I can have someone fill it, just give me a seat.”

silence. Zen observed Stain and

debating the quality of the answer I should provide,” Stain reassured Zen while he

you the Baron of Crenshaw,”

hung in both Stain’s mind

grandly. “The old

as answer,” Stain said with a smile, then withdrew his blessing. Governor Zen beheld Stain’s non-Chu features,

#####

hair as Argrave laughed. They stood, touching Vasquer, as her brother scouted out Stain’s conversation with Governor Zen. Argrave kept repeating, “You’ve gotta admit, he’s earned it,” and “Who

you’re not just a mole. You’re… what are you, exactly? Governor Zen asked,

need to tell you things you need to know, and ask questions that need to

But I wasn’t expecting it so quickly, nor from someone like you. I thought they’d come at the emperor’s direction, if he was still alive. But

emperor’s alive,” Elenore and

didn’t even seem remotely surprised. “Did he ask about his

“Not even once.”

smile, but he did give a knowing expression. “So, you know him. Or knew him, if you’re lying and he’s dead. I’d ask for further proof, but any you give me could be

depends. Are you the hound of the

spot this tale on Amazon, know

through his nose. “I imagine they’d rather

indication to Argrave or Elenore that this

ask again,” Zen continued.

“Restoring the emperor to

he deliberated over what to say. Elenore couldn’t say how he’d gotten the picture, but then maybe it was a bluff of

“You did.”

From birth, they’ve had

and empress, aren’t they?” Elenore

for their lives to be as such, yet the Zen family… the Zen family is tightly knit. My daughters, my sons, even my wives—they understand why I do the

felt the need to remind, “Conveniently, the emperor

shook his head. “He’s

father of your grandchildren,” Elenore pressed the point, and Stain complied, becoming a

governor nodded. “Born a peasant, Zen was my only name. Later, when I assumed governorship, Zen became the family name. Technically, my name would be ‘Zen Zen.’ That lends itself rather well to a metaphor. I am Zen, yet at the same time, the whole family is Zen. They’re an extension of me. I’ll protect them every bit as well as myself, because they are my life. My first wife… a childhood sweetheart. My children… they’ve only ever

have a

emperor is ensuring my grandchildren have a father—nothing more, nothing less.” He pointed. “I sent that ballista with my message for a reason. Not to help the emperor, but to help

The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

Comments ()

0/255